Retiring members...

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Rick Lasky on March 11, 2008 at 10:15pm

You're right buddy, it can be a lot of fun. And it's the right thing to do!

Thanks pal.

Rick

Permalink Reply by Rick Lasky on March 11, 2008 at 10:18pm

We need to get more departments doing exactly that and that's giving the new guys plenty of examples of how it should be done!

Permalink Reply by Shawn Hammernik on March 13, 2008 at 8:40am

Chief,

Taking inspiration from your Pride and Ownership book we started a couple new traditions about two years ago.

On the day the member is retiring we hold a ceremony on the apparatus floor and invite all off-duty firefighters, retirees and family members as well as elected officails to attend (they don't show up but they are invited). The ceremony involves our department honor guard presenting the colors and providing the backdrop for the ceremony. The honor guard commander then presents the retiring member with an American flag that has flow over the fire station. All on duty members are present and wearing their Class B uniform and stand at attention while the retiring member says a few words. We have yet to have a dry eye when it comes time for the retiring member to say his thoughts. If the retiring member is an officer we allow them to perform a final inspection of their personnel. To finalize the event we sound the tones and have dispatch thank the member over the air for xx years of service to the Greenfield Fire Department. We then provide coffee and cake. Overall it has been a resounding success with many positive comments.

The union has an annual awards dinner where they provide awads for years of service and things like that. I'll detail those events in another post as I'm running out of room.

Permalink Reply by Shawn Hammernik on March 13, 2008 at 9:05am

Chief,

Second part of this post I'll detail what we do at the Union awards dinner. Prior to the event we collect pictures of the member from infant to retirement age. We then scan them and create a presentation with sound clips, music, and video clips. We attempt to make this humorous (we wouldn't want to work on anyone would we?). At this event they are presented with a procolamation from the mayor, a plaque with their badge mounted on it as well as presentation of their helmet. The final piece they receive is a Liberty Artworks ceremonial axe with their years of service detailed on it.

We also allow volunteers to say a few words about the retiring members. This has actually been quite funny and has turned into a roast of sorts.

The best presentation we've done so far involved a group of our members who traveled to the Fire and Police games and compete and while there got people from as many different countries say (in their native language) "Happy Retirement Howie). We then placed that video into the presentation.... it was great! Nothing funnier than hearing a foreign firefighter stop at the end and say "Howie".

I hope to hear from other departments so we can improve what we do!

Stay Safe!

Shawn

Permalink Reply by Rick Lasky on March 13, 2008 at 9:48am

Hi Shawn,

We invite our elected officials as well and they rarely show, but it's the right thing to do in keeping them in the loop and extending a hand.

You know, a lot of people think that the member retiring will think it's kind of "corny" or be a little embarrased, but I have come to realize that they love it and appreciate it. I have a very dear friend, Chief Steve Bass from Grapevine Texas, who said the first one he did he had that fear and afterward the retiree came in, got a little emotional and thanked him telling him it was one of the best days of his career.

It's the right thing to do and thank you brother and your department for doing it

Be safe,

Rick

Permalink Reply by Rick Lasky on March 13, 2008 at 9:52am

The following is what we use as the radio announcement that is done at the end of the retirement ceremony. It get's a little emotional but it is a nice gesture...

Retiring Member Radio Announcement:


“All Companies stand by for a city-wide broadcast”

(All Call {1 Alarm} tone followed by Firehouse 6 tones.)

“Attention Engine 166, ID# 5264 (Retiring member’s employee or badge number) be advised this is your last alarm from 2120 Midway Road, Firehouse #6 in Box 632”

“The alarm is under control and tapped out at 14:35 hours”

“From the brotherhood and all of the citizens in the City of Lewisville, thanks Captain Butch Flanagan for the 34 years of service”

“KWF-636 Fire Department City of Lewisville”

Permalink Reply by Rick Lasky on March 13, 2008 at 9:54am

...and this is the checklist we use to make sure we don'tmiss anything,

Lewisville Fire Department
RETIREMENT CEREMONY
CHECKLIST

o Set date for last shift day (If possible)
o Cake and refreshments ordered, coffee
o Programs updated and printed
o Flowers ordered
o Invitations sent (Need list from employee)
o Class A uniforms
o Families notified and Rookie selected to assist
o Location reserved: Training room, bay, Community room, other
o Fire Personnel, Retirees, Reserves, Chaplain, and City notified
o Flag flown over Firehouse on last shift
o Honor Guard Member for presentation of flag
o Bag Piper(s)
o Plaque ordered
o Retirement stickers ordered
o City gift and who will present
o Union (Local 3606) gift and representative to do presentation
o Other presentations identified
o Radio announcement coordinated
o Final Inspection Coordinated (If Applicable)
o Any other speakers identified
o Rookie Assigned to Family
o Fill-ins (If needed)
o Audio Visual – Pictures, Video, Sound System
o Set up / Take down

Permalink Reply by Bob Shovald on March 13, 2008 at 10:33am

Rick -
I forgot about the radio annoucement. I think that was an idea you started when you were the chief here. It is one of the most emotional parts of our cerimonies. Its a great touch.
Bob

Permalink Reply by Rick Lasky on March 13, 2008 at 3:38pm

Thanks buddy!

Permalink Reply by EJ Miller on March 15, 2008 at 12:06pm

Chief,

Up until this past year, my understanding was there really weren't any ceremonies for retiring members. Taking information from Pride and Ownership, we used parts of the model in the book to create one for us.

Prior to our ceremony there was cake and coffee served with our district president and all the members on duty.

A new flag is flown over the station that day, which is taken down during the ceremony, folded properly by our honor guard, and presented to the retiring member later at a retirement party.

If the member is a Chief, as was the case this year for a first one, he walks past all of the uniformed personnel performing a final inspection. During this, a final tone is sent out thanking the member for their years of service which is a very emotional part of the ceremony. There is a permanent number assigned to that call for the retirement.

After the inspection and tone out, the newest member of our department is driven home in our antique fire engine. He is given an escort and all the intersections were closed down by the police.

Several days later there was a retirement party held and a video was played of our honor guard taking down the flag. That flag was presented to the Chief at his retirement party. Until that point, he didn't know that the flag ceremony had occurred.

Permalink Reply by Rick Lasky on March 15, 2008 at 4:36pm

How cool is that!! I think the idea of riding on the antique rig, the escort and shutting down the intersections is awesome. GREAT IDEA!!

Thanks buddy.

Be safe,

Rick

Permalink Reply by Jay Wieners on March 16, 2008 at 1:16pm

One of the nice things about being a volunteer department is that our members never really "retire." They may hang up the helmet, but they can keep coming around as long as they want and remain active in other ways. Along the way, we honor them with plaques and such, but last night we had a real special award given to a member who has been active with the department in some way or another for 59 years. Last night, at our annual Commissioner's Dinner, Firefighter Vincent Lubrano was honored for his many years of service by having the street name changed on the block where our firehouse is located from Lake Shore Dr. to Vince Lubrano Way. Now there's something that doesn't happen to often, but I can't think of anyone who deserved it more.

Jay

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